


Crowns, Tiaras, and Jester Bells

by Team7Extra



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, The Rigel Black Chronicles - Fandom
Genre: F/M, Fem Harry Potter - Freeform, The Lower Alleys, murkybluematter
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-27
Updated: 2020-03-27
Packaged: 2021-02-28 22:48:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,304
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23341210
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Team7Extra/pseuds/Team7Extra
Summary: Somedays the weight of the crown held him down, but on others he stood tall, bruises and all.
Relationships: Harry Potter & Leo Hurst
Comments: 2
Kudos: 46
Collections: Rigel Black Chronicles Appreciation





	Crowns, Tiaras, and Jester Bells

**Author's Note:**

> This is a one shot based on Murkybluematter's The Rigel Black Chronicles starting with The Pureblood Pretense, if you haven't read it yet you should really check it out.

_“Heavy is the head that wears the crown.”_

_-Shakespeare_

***

“Hear ye, hear ye, His Majesty comes out the mighty victor once more!”

As the door to the bar crashed open Rispah and Harry turned their attention to the men causing the disturbance, breaking up the previous calm demeanor that had settled over the Dancing Phoenix, well, as calm as a bar in the Alleys could get anyway.

Marek, seemingly done with heralding Leo’s apparent victory spotted the two in the corner and with a quick nudge and head tilt in their direction led the others through the crowd and maze of tables.

“So your latest assault resulted in failure again I take it?” Rispah asked with a coy smile on her face and a certain twinkle in her eyes.

“As if it had any other possible outcome.” Aled said with a shake of his head. Marek, plopping down at the table, not amused, looked over to Rispah who shot him a raised eyebrow in return. He then turned to Solom, who had wandered over with mugs of ale for the men, and Harry who just gave him an apologetic smile and a shrug of her shoulders causing him to slump down in defeat.

Rispah then asked Aled to give her a play by play of Marek's latest defeat, leading Marek to cause a scene, arguing about how she didn’t need the details because eventually she would be calling him, ‘Your Majesty.’

With all the commotion happening Leo slipped into the empty seat next to Harry while snagging a chip from her plate. At the unimpressed look she gave him, he shrugged, “To the victor goes the spoils.” he said as he tossed it into his mouth.

At that, she arched an eyebrow causing Leo to retract his hand from where he’d been attempting to pilferage yet another chip. With a roll of her eyes she pushed the plate over to him. Leo gave her a quick grin and stuffed a couple chips into his mouth and swallowed them down.

“Ya know I still think the challenging aspect of this is unfair. I lose, they get my throne and what do I get? I get my peoples constant disrespect.” Leo grumbled as he and Harry turned their attention back to the others.

“So why keep winning then?” asked Harry curiously, as she turned her attention back to him. While Leo kept his gaze focused on Marek, Rispah, and the others she knew he had heard her. Leo took a slow breath and furrowed his forehead.

“In some ways” he started off, “I suppose it _is_ just me being selfish, and a matter of pride as well I suppose. I **like** being king. It’s nice to know that I’ve won the right. That I’m strong enough to keep that right. I like always knowing what's going on. But also I just genuinely like helping people. Being in a position where I **can** help them.” Leo had such a earnest look on his face as he watched their friends that she would have believed him even if she hadn’t seen him at home in the role of king. But he went on, “I know that one day I might lose a challenge. The idea of that, of not being _enough_ to continue watching over these Alleys, enough for my people, it scares me. And makes me furious at myself.” At this he turned to Harry and seeing the look of admonishment on her face cut her off before she could even speak.

“And while I know that it will happen someday, and deep down I know it won’t be because I wasn’t enough. It just . . . it makes me want to do more while I can. While I am still in a position to be able to. Even if that means I also have to deal with the less . . . savory aspects of ruling.”

“Politics?”

“Politics.” Leo echoed with a shrug. “That and dealing with upstart subjects with nothing to show for my efforts.” He said this with an emphasis on ‘upstart’ aimed towards Marek. “Plus, can you imagine Marek as king? The Alleys would revolt in a day or two. Before he even had time to pick out a crown.” Leo stage whispered to Harry, making her smile.

“OI!” yelled Marek as Aled, Rispah and Solom chimed in with their agreements.

“So where’s your crown then, Your Highness?” teased Harry with a smile.

“His Royal Majesty never got one.” answered Marek with a sudden grin. And quick as whip he transfigured Harry's now empty chip plate into a golden crown with gleaming red gems. Which he then plopped upon Leos head without a moment's hesitation. After which Marek quickly backed out of reach.

That ended up being necessary as Leo froze and simply looked upwards in surprise, causing him to resemble a school boy whose mother had forced a winter hat upon him. Raising his hand to grab the crown off his head and fling it at Mareks, he stopped.

Harry was laughing. For the first time since Leo had known her, she was truly laughing. Not a sly smile, that she so often gave when trying to hide the fact that she was amused. Or even her polite chuckle that she saved for those she didn’t truly want to deal with. A real, full laugh. Eyes scrunched up, cheeks pink while a mix of chortles and giggles left her mouth. The closest he had seen to this was when her Upper Class cousin visited the Alleys.

He lowered his hand keeping his eyes on her. On some level he was aware that the others were ridiculing him but his attention was only on her, on Harry. Leo knew that she was involved in something. Something that had her looking over her shoulder at all times. That had her always acting like her time with them could end any minute. And while it did hurt that she didn’t feel safe enough to tell them and share her troubles he understood. Because he felt the same. He would do whatever he could to keep his people, his _friends_ safe. Even if that meant not telling them the whole truth, and always being on watch for the next threat.

Leo could deal with the heavy weight of the crown upon his head if that meant giving Harry these few precious moments of joy and a sense of ease. Because that look on her face was worth every ache on his neck and every bruise on his skull. He would bear the weight a little while longer.

Harry's laughter then trailed off and as she looked at Leo, he realized that he had a soft smile on his face and changed it to a smirk.

“Does mi’lady wish for a tiara to match?” he asked with the flourish of a bow, as close to bow as he could get sitting down anyway. Harry gave a roll of her eyes and kicked at his shins beneath the table with a light blush on her cheeks.

“You know, I do believe that there is someone else here who deserves their own courtly apparel.” Harry quipped with an impish look on her face as she gave a quick look to Marek. Leo gave her a grin.

“I knew I let you stay around for a reason.”

“ _Let_ me stay? Remind me, who was the one following who around like a stray cat?” Leo waved her off.

“Details, details.” Harry had to smile at that and turned to face the others as Leo, crown tilted upon his head, got out of his seat giving her a roguish wink before turning to the others having to holler to be heard.

“Oi, Marek! Why don’t you say we start getting the bells ready for your Jester's cap?”

***

**Author's Note:**

> To be honest I drew the art first and then felt I had to come up with a story to go along with it.


End file.
